Stakeholder views on future use of biological samples in Malawi and South Africa.

Background: Current advances in biomedical research have introduced new ethical challenges regarding the storage and future use of biological samples in low- and middle-income settings. Few studies have explored key stakeholder views on storage and future use of biological samples in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted to understand key stakeholder views on storage and future use of biological samples in Malawi and South Africa. The main objective was to explore key stakeholder views on current policies on storage and future use of biological samples and use the information obtained to advise on policy implications for future use of biological samples in Malawi and South Africa.

Methodology: This was a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Seventy-eight participants were recruited in both countries and took part in 34 IDIs and 6 FGDs. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim, and data analyzed thematically, iteratively and inductively using ATLAS. The study was conducted in Cape Town, South Africa, and Blantyre and Lilongwe in Malawi.

Results: Most participants recommended future use of biological samples and their indefinite storage. Majority of the participants felt donors of biological samples are the rightful owners of the samples. Few participants recommended that biological samples for a specific study must be destroyed at the end of the study.

Conclusion: These findings may inform ongoing ethical debates on storage and future use of biological samples. They may also inform policy changes in Malawi and South Africa on the length of storage of biological samples.